For South Bay-Peninsula Elites, it was Back to Cool last week. No one was dragging their feet to go since Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar was more welcoming than a kindergarden teacher beckoning her class to come to the carpet for story time. Dressed in nerd glasses, cheerleader outfits, pleated skirts and jock gear, our motely crue made the most of a beautiful fall evening!
Menlo Grill turned their outdoor patio into a gourmet adult cafeteria experience, serving up tray after tray of lobsta' roll sliders, Berkshire pork chops skewers with applejack barbecue sauce and bite-sized wedge salads. Also on the menu was artichoke dip with sourdough crostini, guacamole and panzanella salad, made with heirloom tomatoes, Brentwood corn and toasted ciabatta. And because we were feeling a bit like kids, it only made sense that we had bread pudding along with cookies and milk shooters for dessert!

Crispin Cider was on-hand offering adult apple juice and Lillet Blanc had samples of their white and red wine. Having recently launched their cocktail program, Menlo Bar served "Straight A" margaritas alongside Cosmo-jitos. Yeah, we wanted to feel like we were back in high school, but it sure is nice to be able to have an adult bevvy while pretending 😉 And while attendance was taken, diligent Elites got an extra star and "yearbook photo" for donating supplies to Ravenswood School District, who services students from East Palo Alto as well as Menlo Park.
Elite Kevyne R had such a good time that she wrote a full report of her experience:
"Dear Teacher,
I went back to cool today and may I say that I had a blast! The cool grounds (Menlo Grill Bistro.and Bar located inside the Stanford Park Hotel) was perfect for straight A Yelpers! The staff put their best and made sure the Yelp students had the best time ever!
Your syllabus for this course was good.
Our first subject was Culinary awesomeness….Everything was excellent!
– Who will forget the California Panzenella sitting beautifully on that buffet table. Topped with pickled onions, grilled corn, tomatoes, and cheese.
Next subject was learning the goodness of spirits…
The Margarita that the Mixologist handed us was definitely a stiffy!
But wait, there's more! – For dessert we were served the all time fave chocolate cookie with a shot of milk! How original is that?
Included also in the course was the Art of Socializing 101. All my Elite classmates and the plus 1s had a blast!!! It was definitely one GREAT and WONDERFUL "back to cool" night!
Thank you Principal ABBY S! You always deliver an AMAZING event! and a well deserved A+ to the whole staff of Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar, you are totally, LIKE totally in my COOL list!
Signed,
Kevyne"
Read the other A+ reviews on the event listing and check out the yearbook photos taken by Waitman Gobble on the Yelp Flickr page.
Stay Sweet, Don't Change
Abby "Professor" S, South Bay-Peninsula Communtiy Manager